Lake Rodney meet me half-way

hiss click click click clack;
blue mist crash lands on stilt legs
his prey barricaded by golden flesh

he turns his head this way and that
black eyes on the shadowed thing below

stalking round on his twiggy legs
he harrumphs and grumbles
feathers ridging in displeasure

first he advances with head held aside
long beak raised before him like a sword

a stab! a thrust! a dart backwards
as he tests this wolf and his mettle

wanting deeply the warm thing
held just out of his hunger's grasp